Fantasy football players are still fuming at how the Cardinals didn't use feature running back David Johnson in Sunday's win against the Giants when backup Chase Edmonds instead was the one running 27 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns. But in reality, the decision further marked the arrival of Kliff Kingsbury as a forward-thinking and successful pro head coach, contrary to all his preseason critics.
Kingsbury's explanation for giving Johnson only one early touch and treating him more as the emergency back was rather simple. Third-stringer D.J. Foster wasn't healthy enough to play at all, while Johnson traded some back issues he played fully through the previous week for an ankle injury that had him more "questionable" for Week 7.
Johnson was active for the game but Kingsbury kept it under wraps that he would be only serving as the backup. Although it's unusual for an NFL team to dress two running backs, with only one of them truly able to play, we've seen nothing has been usual so far with Kingsbury — and everything he's doing is starting to work to stay a step head weekly in the league.
NFL POWER RANKINGS
Packers, Cowboys jump; Eagles, Bears slip; Dolphins no longer last
"We were just being smart. It was a knee-based deal," Kingsbury said of Johnson's non-role in the 27-21 victory. "Chase needed to be spelled, but we wanted to make sure Dave came (out of there) clean for later on in the season."
If an established NFL coaching genius such as Sean Payton or Bill Belichick had said that about not deploying a star player, we might be equally frustrated, but not the least bit surprised. We would respect they know what they're doing with the most important aspect of their job — winning real games.
Payton and Belichick have built reputations about being unconventional and innovative with personnel with only the bottom line in mind.
Kingsbury, just 40 years old, has taken seven weeks to figure this out, and the Cardinals should be thrilled about the early returns on their hire. At 3-3-1, Arizona already has exceeded many expectations for its win total after last year's 3-13 one-and-done mess with Steve Wilks, Mike McCoy and Josh Rosen.
When the Cardinals made the maverick decision to go with Kingsbury, who was fired from Texas Tech for consistent losing seasons, it was clearly all tied to installing an offense tailored to their surefire No. 1 overall pick at quarterback, Kyler Murray. Between the "10" personnel passing looks — our-receiver sets with classic shotgun spread and "Air Raid" concepts — that are hard to defend around, the running of Murray, Johnson and Edmonds off that are starting to drive defenses batty.
But what's been more impressive during the Cardinals' current three-game winning streak after an 0-2-1 start is how organized Kingsbury is with his big-picture game plans. His deserved cool cockiness in his offensive acumen is an absolute asset. The Bengals, Giants and Falcons are all bad defensive teams, sure, but he thoroughly outcoached his counterparts.
WEEK 8 FANTASY RANKINGS
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
In essence, Kingsbury looked at the Giants and felt confident he could beat them with a heavy dose of rushing Edmonds and not need to push Johnson. He counted on New York's struggling back seven players being too busy in coverage trying to prepare for Murray spreading the ball over the field. The result was Edmonds dancing through big holes, starting with two 20-yard touchdowns. It was a shrewd move, knowing the Cardinals had much tougher defensive matchups ahead against the Saints and the 49ers for which Johnson, who turns 28 in December, needed to be at full speed.
Maybe something from Belichick rubbed off on Kingsbury in the one season he spent with the Patriots as a rookie sixth-round draft pick in 2003. Worry only about what's needed to beat your opponent in the short term, with an eye on what's also better for your team in the long term. It sounds easy to do, but it's hard for so many coaches to follow through.
Belichick has proved he doesn't care about your fantasy team by using a multitude of running backs however he and Josh McDaniels please, changing up which personnel gets the most run from game to game based on matchups. During his Patriots era, they have also been notorious about not being forthcoming with injury information.
That also makes him a savvy six-time Super Bowl champion coach, not giving opponents much of mental or schematic edge. Kingsbury may have pulled what seemed like a dirty trick to those who played Johnson in fantasy football, but the real treat is for Cardinals fans, who have a keeper on the sidelines.
